Our Broken Family Tree
by nbgangelova
Summary: Elaine Fieldsway is an apple that's fallen far from the tree. When her adopted brother, Carmen, and step-brother, Nate, both fall in love with her and take residace in her house, things start to change. Which brother will get to the shiny apple first?
1. Chapter 1: Introduction

CHAPTER ONE~UPDATES AND UPCHUCKS

My dad's a homophobic and my mom's a homo, which doesn't make a good mix. That's why they went opposite directions, leaving me in the crossfire. You could say I hated the experience. Or you could say I hated my parents. Whatever. All I can say is that when you take one fragment out of the equation, another one is put in.

And that's where Shires—which is a better name for a dog, I believe—comes in and marries my dad. And guess what she brings along? Her son.

Now, I'm not one to judge. Sure, he might be tall and sexy as hell, I'll admit, but he's a real…

Let's just say: "Army _brat_"...

It isn't a picnic, living in the small town of Hoax, Oregon. But Shires Manahan and her eighteen year old son, Nate, are sure as hell going to burn down what I thought was my life as a "non-picnic" so far. I mean, she's got to be the most plastic person in the world. And _him_! God, I'm not even going to go into that!

I'm not ungrateful or unkind. It's just that I've been a little moody ever since I found out Carmen—my adopted older brother—is coming home for Spring Break.

And who'd be happy about that?

If he hadn't claimed his undying love for me, I definitely would.

Mimi Ogosawagi, my best friend and future lawyer, said it wasn't odd at all that a guy that was family was in love with me. All I said to her was "huh?" so she went on explaining that we're not blood-related and…well, she can't blame him.

Well, that's nice for her, but _I do_!

Can't a guy control those things? I mean, I do it every freaking day of my life, and he goes and…!

_Breathe, Elaina, breathe. You're getting _**way** _off topic here. You were talking about Shires and Nate, remember?_

Oh, and by the way, I also have a little voice in my head. Has everything gotten so out-of-hand that I depend on a second-person sanity in my own mind?

_Yeah. Kind of._

Shut up!


	2. Chapter 2: Family Sucks

Chapter 2: Alone With Nate

I looked at the beds and took a sudden gasp inward. One was on the far right wall, one was on the far left wall, and the other was right underneath the window straight ahead. But that isn't what scared me. Oh, no. It was the fact that all the beds were in _one room_.

"Uh, dad?" I called to the living room, where the idiot himself was instructing the movers were the Manahan furniture was supposed to go.

"Yes, Elly?"

I half-ran, half-stomped, out of the room. Barely missing my ferret Yoyo, I turned the corner and stopped in front of my dad. To be sure he knew I had attitude, I poked him in the chest with every other word I spoke.

"No offense," I grumbled quickly, "But putting me in the room with two boys—one of which you _know_ almost tried to make a move on me—has to be the worst idea _ever_."

Dad sighed. "Carmen swore he wouldn't do anything, Elaine. Besides, Shires knows about the little…dilemma we had those couple years back. She bribed Nate to do something just in case.

Kelly Fieldsway was a good man, but a very gullible one. When someone promised something, he took their word for it and believed them easily. Little did he know how much of a promise-breaker Carmen really was.

And, maybe, that Nate wasn't really trustworthy.

"Dad…" I said wearily, "Why can't they just sleep in the library?"

"You know Shires is an eccentric being, Elly. She needs things a certain way."

I looked over to where a mover—a really cute one, too—put down a statue of a naked chick with boobs the size of melons.

_You and the statue have something in common already._

Infuriated by that little reminder, I grabbed the collar of my shirt. Not really because I was hot, even though it was the middle of June, but because I needed something to grab onto. It was either that, my hair, or someone's throat.

"Dad."

"Hm?" He asked, looking up from wiping his glasses.

"Don't get me angry. You don't like me when I'm angry."

...Nate...

The chick was nuts. No other explanation. She was plain old insane, and I guess her only redemption was her looks. Which is saddening, because she likes to hide everything—especially the stuff that she should be proud.

Not only is Elaine crazy, she's clumsy. She can't sit still for more than a minute. And whenever she speaks, she uses gestures as if everything she's saying should be announced to the world.

Second of all, I'm sick of that her and that statue. She stares at it, looks down at her own breasts, then huffs and walks out of the room. Freak.

But worst of all, whenever I'm doing my daily exercises—either getting in shape to get into the Navy or show off to her friends—she rolls her eyes. I mean, like she's better than me! The chick's over here staring at a statue's tits and she thinks _I'm_ the one who should be ashamed?

I guess her brother, Carmen, is okay though. He's quiet and the kind of guy who stares at people. Not in a weird, homo way, but like he was calculating everyone's meaning. But I've noticed that Carmen tends to stare at Elaine more often than the rest—which shouldn't surprise me, since he's in love with her and stuff.

Gross. Dude, I mean, c'mon. Get any more pathetic?

You got to feel sorry for him, though. He's not even hitting on Elaine, just acting like a brother, and she just ignores him. I feel for him. If Caitlin ever acted so aloof, I'd be down. Not the funny, _Oh, he's such a sucker_, kind of sad, either.

Guess that's what happens when a chick doesn't want you to love her. She tries to force you—by acting horrible and rude—to stop pining for her.

What sucks is the fact that…well…you can't.


End file.
